Combined dash and trouble lamp.



C. F. CUNO.

COMBINED DASH AND TROUBLE LAMP.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 6. 191a.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

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QOMBIMED DASH AND TROUBLE LAMP.

APPLECATION mm) JUNE 6.1916.

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' CHARLES F. CUNO, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUNO ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

COMBINED DASH AND TROUBLE LALMIIE'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 6, 1916. Serial No. 101,885.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. CUNo, a citizen of .the United States of America, residing at Meriden, Connecticut, have in vented a new and useful Combined Dash and Trouble Lamp, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has for its objects to provide a dash lamp of ornamental and attractive appearance which can, when desired, be readily withdrawn from its socket and be used as a so-called trouble lamp.

A special object of the invention is to provide a lamp structure which in addition to its function as a trouble lamp may be used as a bulls-eye lamp for searching out sign posts, obstructions'in the road, etc.

Other objects are to so construct the lamp that the rays may be shielded from the eyes of the user and so that the volume or in-.

tensity of the light may be governed at will. A further object is to provide simple and 'edective means for-holding the cord after the lamp has been withdrawn.

2 Still further objects are to provide'a.s i'm= from its socket the desired distance. 5

' 1e and-practical form of spring reel for olding the cord-and to enable, theready adjustment of the tension; of the Winding F0 spring'for said reel,

In the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects I employ a socket suitable for mounting in the dash of an automobile,

adapted to receive a lamp body of suitable construction and which has in the preferred form of the invention, a hood covering the end of the'lamp and a'sleeve which can be used to shield the rays of the lamp when usually -.on the back of the dash and inter-' engaging shoulders are preferably provldedthe hood is removed. The lamp is supplied with a sufficient amount of cord which is taken up by a spring wound reel mounted on the lamp and supporting socket for normally yieldingly holding the lamp seated in proper position in the socket. A cord holder of forked construction is provided located preferably at one edge of the socket so that section and showing the sleeve slid along preferably mounted on the extreme end of the lamp body beyond the lamp so that when the sleeve is moved along the lamp body as. far as said lens, the lamp will be converted into an effective bulls-eye lamp.

Various other features and details of con struction will appear as the specification proceeds, attention being directed to the accompanying two sheets of drawings wherein I have illustrated my invention embodied in a practical .and'preferred form.

In these drawings :Figure 1, is a perspectlve view showing my invention applied Patented Dec. is, rate. if

to the dash of an automobile, the dash in this case being broken away and shown in section. Fig. 2, is a front view of the same with the lamp withdrawn from its socket and the cord hooked onto the cord holder.

7 Fig. 3,'is a. detached view of the lamp structure with parts broken away and shown in the lamp body to partially shield the side rays of the lamp. Fig. 4, is a perspective j I view showlng the sleeve slid along far enough to coverthe lamp globe and so direct the rays through the lens, thus providless of the light rays. "Fig. 6, is a sectional v1e'w of the reel and its casing taken substantially on the plane of the line 6-6- of Fig. 1.- Fig. 7, .isa detail sectional view showing the interlocking shoulders for holding the lamp in its socket, this view being taken substantially on the plane of the line 7-7 .of- Fig. 1. Fig. 8, is'a top plan View of the hood. Fig. 9, is a detail perspective view of the reel spindle showing the anchor- I ing a, bulls-eye lamp. Fig. 5, is a view illustrating the manner in which the light shielding sleeve may be used inconjunction with the hood as a valve to cut off more or age for the inner end of the winding spring."

lln the illustration the invention is shown as applied to the dash 10 of an automobile,

the socket which receives and supports the lamp structure being shown in the form of a ring 11 having a flange overlying the face pf the dash and'by which it may be secured in place by means of suitable screws 12, the

housing 14 secured on the back of the dash.

The lamp structure, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3 consists in the present disclosure of a body 'or handle portion 15 preferably of insulating material, of tubular construction to pass the feed Wires 16 and supporting on Icord reel 13 being shown mounted in a its end a socket 17 for an electric lamp 18. Supported on the extreme end of the handle beyond the lamp bulb is a ring 19 for supporting a lens 20, said lens being shown secured to said supporting ring by a securing ring 21, the two rings preferably having a screw-threaded engagement as indicated at 22.

The lens support is in the present disclosure carried by a plurality of outwardly bowed spring arms 23 which form a cage about the lamp globe and so serve to protect it from injury, the outer ends of the said arms being shown rigidly fixed to the lens supporting ring and the inner ends of said arms being shown engaged beneath the flange 24 of the lamp socket 17.

25 designates the light shielding sleeve which is slidably engaged on the handle and which as indicated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 may he slid along the handle so as to shield the lamp globe more or less. In Fig. 3 the shield has been moved far enough to exclude part of the rays issuing from the sides of the lamp so;;' ;as to prevent the light glaring in the eyes of the one holding the lamp by the handle. In Fig. 4 the shield has been moved far enough to entirely inclose the lamp globe and so confine the side rays and cause thelight to be projected through the lens. The shield is thus capable of transforming the lamp into an effective bullseye lantern which is very useful for the reading of sign posts, etc.

The outwardly bowed spring arms 23 serve by their frictional engagement with the inner walls of the sleeve to frictionally hold the sleeve in the light shielding position to which it has been adjusted and the sleeve may be limited in its sliding movement by a stop 26 on the handle and a stop 27 on the lens support, this latter stop being shown as an annular outstanding shoulder on the lens securing ring 21 which, when said ring is removed, permits of the sleeve being slid off the end ofthe lamp body.

When in use as a dash lamp, the lamp is preferably hooded and its rays directed ownwardly or in any other direction desired by a hood 28 engaged over the end of the lamp body and provided with a slot 29 forming a light aperture of suitable size in the side thereof. This hood may be held in place on the lamp body by engaging over the spring arms 23 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 7, from which it will be seen that when it'is desired to use the lamp as an exploring light the hood may be removed by simply, slipping it off the end of the lamp body. This hood may and preferably does have a sliding telescopic fit with the light shield sleeve 25 so that as indicated in Fig. 5 the sleeve may be moved up so as to cut down the size of the light aperture 29 more or less.

In order that the lamp will be replaced in its supporting socket in proper position to throw the light rays in the desired direction, engaging shoulders are preferably provided on the socket and lamp body for guiding and holding the lamp in its proper position. These shoulders are indicated as a stud or projection 30 on the socket 11 engaging in a notch 31 formed in the inner end of the hood. This notch is preferably made deeper at the inner end as indicated at 32 to frictionally hold the lamp in place and prevent accidental dislodgment of the same from the supporting socket. This structure, it will be seen, serves to guide the lamp properly into its socket and hold the same against being twisted therein. A flange 33 may be also provided on the hood to serve as a stop preventnig the insertion of a lamp too far in its socket.

After withdrawing the lamp and pulling out the necessary length of cord, the reel may be locked against rewinding the cord by means of a holder such as that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7 and consisting of a pair of relatively fixed jaws 34 spaced apart so as to receive and grip the cord between them. This cord holder is preferably mounted adjacent one edge of the socket as clearly shown so that the cord may be engaged therewith by simply withdrawing the same and then bending it slightly at an angle to one side and into the grip of said jaws. This cord holder may be formed as a forked lug integral with or attached to the face flange of the socket.

The reel 13 upon which the lamp cord is wound is of novel construction embodying in the illustration a hub portion 35 preferably of wood or other insulatin material carrying spaced apart outstandln metal flanges or spool heads 36, one of said heads being flanged over at the edge as indicated at 37 to form a cup-like chamber receiving the winding spring 38. This spring chamber may be closed if desired as by means of a disk 39.

The ends of the two lamp cords are connected'to the respective flanges or heads of the spool as indicated at 40 and 41, current being conducted to one of the spool heads by means of a plunger. or contact pin 42 carried by a spring 43 and to the other spool head by means of the winding spring which forms a grounding connection between said spool head and the case 14 in which the reel is mounted. The protruding end of the wooden or insulating reel hub serves, as illustrated in Fig. 6, to hold the insulated or non-grounded flange of the reel away from the wall of the casing. The spring pressed contact 42 may be provided with a. suitable circuit terminal 44 and a second circuit terminal 45 may be secured direct to the metallic casing 14. The spring pressed contact and the terminal therefor may be mounted on a suitable insulating base such as that indicated at 46. To insure a positive electrical connection with the ground spool head, a special grounding spring is shown at 46 secured to'the metallic case 14 and bearing on the flange 37 of the spool head.

The reel is mounted to rotate on a spindle or arbor 47 suitably supported in the casing and for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the winding spring, said springis preferably attached to this arbor and the arbor is made rotatabl adjustable. In the construction illustrated the arbor carries a hook-like projection {t8 which hooks through an opening in the inner end of the Winding spring, the outer end of the winding spring is attached to the flange of the reel as indicated at 49, the arbor is provided with a finger hold 50 for turning the same and a cotter pin 51 is provided for securin the arbor in its adjusted position. This ho ding pin is shown-engaged in an opening in the post 52 mounted adjacent the end of the arbor and adapted to be projected into an opening 53 in the arbor. With this con struction it will be clear that to set the spring to any desired tension, it is merely necessary to withdraw the cotter pin from holding engagement with the spindle and then to rotate the spindle until the desired spring tension is obtained and then again project its jet

i the combination of a supporting socket and I the pin into holding engagement with the arbor.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a supporting socket having an exposed face flange and a spring wound reel at the back of said socket, of an electrical device detachably seated in said socket provided with a flexible cord adapted to be wound on the spring reel and rigid outstanding spaced jaws mounted on the flange of the socket adjoining the mouth. of said socket and in position therefore to receive between them the flexible cord of the electrical device when .said device is withdrawn from the socket and the cord is defiected slightly to the side of the socket where said cord holding jaws are located.

2. In'a lamp of the character described a lamp adapted to be received in said socket, one of said members having a radial projection and the other of said members having a radial depression to receive the rojection on the other member and a guiding groove extending inward from the end of such member to the depression therein, a cord attached to said lamp and a cord reel at the back of the supporting socket receiving said cord.

3. In a lamp of the character set forth a lamp body, a lamp carried thereby, a bull eye lens carried by said lamp body at a point beyond the lamp thereon, a hood normally housing said lamp and lens but removable to uncover said lens and a light shielding sleeve slidable along the lamp body to the lensat the end thereof to thereby confine the light from the lamp to said bulls-eye lens.

4. In a combined dash and. trouble lamp, a lamp body, a lamp mounted thereon, a sleeve longitudinally movable on the lamp body and a hood covering the end of the lamp and slidably engageable with said sleeve.

5. In a combined dash and trouble lamp a lamp body, a lamp mounted thereon, a hood slidably engaged over the end of the lamp body and rovided with a slot in one side thereof and a sleeve longitudinally movable on the lamp body and telescopically engaged with the hood and thereby adapted to vary the width of the slot forming the light apr erture in the hood.

6. In a lamp of the character described, a lamp body, a lamp mounted thereon, spring guard arms forming a cage around said lamp, a light hood frictionally engaged over said spring guard arms and a light shieldin sleeve telescopingly engaged with said hood? 7. In a lamp of the character described, a lamp body, a lamp mounted thereon, spring guard arms forming a cage around said lamp, a light shield frictionally engaged over said spring guard arms and a lens supported by said guard arms.

8. In a lamp of the character described, a lam body, a lamp mounted thereon, spring guar arms forming a cage around said lamp, a lens sup orted by said guard arms over the end of t e lamp and alight shielding sleeve slidably engaged over the lamp body and adapted to be moved along the spring guard arms to the lens supported thereby.

9. In a lamp of the character described, a lamp body, a lamp mounted thereon, sprin guard arms forming a cage around sai lamp, a lens supporting ring secured to the outer ends of the spring guard arms, a lens carried thereby and a light shielding sleeve vslidable over said spring arms up to the lens 10. In a lamp of the character described,

a lamp body, a lamp mounted on one end thereof,'a lens supported beyond said lamp and a light shielding sleeve slidable over the lamp body and over the lamp up to said lens to thereby confine the light issuing from said lamp to the lens.

11. In a lamp of the character described, I

a handle, a lens supported at one end of said handle, a lamp mounted on the handle inside said lens and a light shielding sleeve slidably engaged over the handle and movable along the handle to cover the lamp aforesaid.

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12. In a lamp of the character described, a handle, a ring supported at one end of the handle, a lens mounted in said ring, a lamp mounted on the handle at a point inside the ring at the end thereof and a sleeve slidable along the handle into engagement with said ring.

13. In a lamp of the character described, a lamp body, a lamp mounted on one end of said body, a ring supported by said lamp body beyond the lamp thereon and a light shielding sleeve,slidably engaged over the lamp body and movable thereover into the plane-of said ring.

14. In a lamp of the character described, a lampbody, a lamp mounted on one end of said body, a ring supported by said lamp body beyond the lamp thereon, a sleeve slid- 'ably engaged over the lamp body, a lens and a ring securing said lens to the supporting ring provided with a shouldei confining the sleeve on the lamp body. I

15. In a lamp of the character described, a lamp body, a lamp mounted on one end of said body,'spr1ng arms extending from, the ends of said lamp body, a ring securedto the outer ends of said spring arms and a light shield frictionally engaged over said spring arms.

1.6. In a combined dash and trouble lamp, a supporting socket, a lamp body engaged in said socket, a lamp carried by said'lamp maintain the light shield in a body, a light shield engaged over the end of the lamp body provided with a stop shoulder adapted to engage the socket to limit the inward movement of the lamp body in the socket and engaging shoulders on the supporting socket and light shield arranged to predetermined relation to the socket.

17. In a device of the character set forth, a metallic casing, an arbor supported by the side walls of said casing, a reel mounted on said arbor and comprising outstanding spaced metallic flanges and an insulating supporting hub, said insulating hub extending beyond the flange at one end of the reel for engagement with the side wall of the metallic casing to thereby hold said flange out of contact with said side wall, an insulating base on said side wall of the casing, a spring pressed contact on said insulating base and engaging the adjoining end flange of the reel, a terminal for said spring pressed contact mounted on said insulating base, a ground terminal for the metallic casing, a grounding contact secured to one of the walls of the metallic, casing and engaging the'other metallic end flange of the reel, a spring for winding the reel and an electric cord having its ends fastened to the en flanges of the reel. a

CHARLES F. CUNO. 

